One of the Family
by Pink Mockingjay in Hufflepuff
Summary: Ben and Mal's relationship has given them each a larger family to love.


_**Hello again! Have a short little thing about Ben and Mal's family.**_

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Mal had been noticing that she was spending a lot of at the castle. Ben had ever so kindly invited the four isle kids to stay at the castle over breaks and such, so they all spent a lot of time there, but Mal most of all.

She wasn't there all the time, she had other friends and other commitments, but Ben appreciated the company. He was an only child in a huge castle his whole life. Even if Mal sat on the other side of the room, silently reading or sketching or anything, he liked it. He liked people. And, as his girlfriend found out early on, he was very much the type that thrived on physical affection.

Belle and Beast had taken quite the shining to the purple haired girl since the coronation. They liked having Mal around almost as much as their son did. She loosened him up a bit and gave him a way to look at things from a different side. He helped her with everything he could, helped her take charge of her own life, and pointed out all the good things life had to offer. Not to mention they adored each other.

Belle had become rather maternal to the girl who had stolen her son's heart, offering assistance, praise, and encouragement where it was necessary and even providing the occasional hug where she deemed it appropriate. She had given Mal (and her friend Evie) access to her vast library whenever she'd like to use it.

Belle had also realized Mal enjoyed making things; art, baked goods, et cetera. So if Mal was over and Ben was busy, Belle and Mal would spend a while in the kitchen making cookies and cupcakes and the like, which Mal would decorate if she wanted to. There was never a sweets shortage in the castle, which was beneficial because not only did Ben and his father have sweet tooths, Jay and Carlos were also suckers for cookies.

Belle enjoyed spending time with Mal, she was clever and complicated, but she was a dear underneath it all. And she was perfect for Ben.

Adam liked Mal too. She kept the entire family on their toes in an entertaining sort of way. He particularly enjoyed showing Mal something she had never seen before and watching her reaction (the first time she saw a laptop, she had cautiously poked a button and jumped back when the screen lit up). He had also taken on the proud dad role by putting Mal's report card up next to Ben's on the refrigerator and happily introducing her as "my Ben's girlfriend". He also told her bad jokes more than he told them to Ben because she actually seemed to like them.

Ben was happy Mal fit in so well with his family. She was more open-minded, more fun, and more genuine than Audrey had ever been. She also called him an idiot when he deserved it, which was beneficial.

As much time as Mal was spending with Ben's family, he was spending with hers.

Her family wasn't conventional, but it was still a family. Evie was her sister, Jay was the annoying brother that everyone loved anyway, and Carlos was the little one they all looked after.

They all looked kind of scary, sure, but underneath it all they were all just kids and like anyone at Auradon Prep. They were ridiculous and hilarious and always caused innocent mischief. They were a good time, the four of them. Ben loved hanging out with them.

It hadn't taken long at all for them to warm up to him. In just a few weeks, Carlos was asking him for girl advice (he happened to think Jane was pretty cute), Jay was teasing him like a brother, and Evie had turned into sister figure, calling him a dweeb and helping him in science when he struggled.

He had taught Evie to dance at the same time he taught Mal, he still helped Carlos with Tourney, and he played Jay's favorite video game with him.

A lot of people didn't understand why Ben spent so much time with them, but he didn't care. They were some of his closest friends. They didn't treat him like a king, they treated him like Ben, the bookworm who was actually more introverted than not.

Sure, he had gotten threats ("If you hurt Mal, we hurt you. You better be good to her.") and he knew they meant it (he didn't plan on hurting her), but they were playful and curious and smart and kind.

They were a breath of fresh air in typically stuffy and snooty Auradon, so real and in touch with the present. They didn't want to look back into the past because it only held them back, they were driven by the present and the future and Ben admired that.

When all of them were together, Ben and Mal and Evie and Jay and Carlos and Adam and Belle, it felt like home. It was comfortable and fun and no one felt awkward anymore.

And to Mal and Ben, that was the best part of being a relationship, they had more family to love.

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 _ **A/N: I hope you liked that fluffy junk pile. I'm working on an Evie-centered short thing right now. As I'm sure you've noticed, Ben and Mal as a couple make me really happy.**_

 ** _Have a great Halloween!_**

 ** _See ya around!_**


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